Spirited comments on Bay Area growth plan over three decades

A sweeping plan outlining how the Bay Area should grow over the next 30 years drew out a spirited crowd Monday as many speakers protested what they believe is an attempt to take away private property rights.

Nearly 50 attended a public hearing at the Vallejo Fairgrounds on the draft Plan Bay Area, written in response to state law mandating the Bay Area reduce greenhouse emissions from cars and light trucks.

As the region grows, swelling to an estimated 9 million people by 2040, the plan attempts to chart a course for accommodating this growth while preserving communities, bolstering local economies but not adding to traffic congestion.

Some welcomed the attempt at regional planning which designates which parts of the Bay Area should absorb growth and provide for such things as open space, and agriculture preservation.

But many speakers questioned the data and the people creating the plan as "unelected bureaucrats" making unwelcome decisions and impacts on lives of private citizens. Some suggested that the plan was too close to Socialism.

"These are nonelected officials are deciding how tax money is spent and taking our land away from us," said Shirlee Pierce of Fairfield.

Another speaker said people should be allowed to vote on it rather than have agencies impose.

Parts of Solano County, such as Fairfield, downtown Vallejo and a portion of Benicia, are identified as priority growth areas in the document, or spots where more housing could be expected near highways and transit areas.

Solano County's housing growth rate is expected to be about .5 percent over the next 30 years, while jobs are expected to grow 1.2 percent, according to the document.

The city of Fairfield is put in one of the top 15 places for large growth, about 30 percent, over the next three decades, or at No. 11 in the region.

One aim of the plan is building new housing closer to transit centers and job centers to decrease car trips. Some speakers complained this would lead to an over abundance of "stack and pack" housing, unwanted bicycle trails and children playing and getting injured on railroad tracks.

In addition, numerous Vallejoans said they fear the city will be a "dumping ground" for more low-income residents and the plan should encourage greater businesses and job opportunities.

But Kathy Kerridge of Benicia said she welcomed the plan as a vital tool for long-term regional planning.

While one speaker suggested that measures be taken to control the population, Kerridge said if the population does increase, the Bay Area should have a plan in place to handle the influx of people.

She suggested more bike trails between Benicia and Vallejo's Ferry Terminal, and more effort go into anticipating changes due to global warming.

Similarly, Bob Berman of Benicia said he generally supports the plan, but said it should have more specific guidelines and policies about saving open space and agriculture and creating parks, particularly in Solano County.

But far more speakers said they feared the plan was an attempt of government to take control of their lives and kill the American Dream.

"It is not government's business to decide where people should live," said George Gwynn of Suisun City.

Likewise, Vallejo resident Nathan Stout said individual citizens and communities should decide their own destinies, not large agencies.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is expected to consider adopting the document in July. Agency spokesman John Goodwin said that all public comments made at public hearings in all nine Bay Area counties will be part of the public record.